Wood, L.J., L. Fish, J. Laughren and D. Pauly, 2007.
Assessing progress towards global marine protection targets: Shortfalls in information and action.
UBC, Fisheries Centre Working Paper Series, 2007(3):39 p.
The current targets to protect between 10 and 30% of the sea in the next few years have been set with little regard of the ground realities and achievability. Currently, no more than 0.8% of the world's oceans are protected in marine protected areas (MPA) and perhaps as little as 10% of that, thus 0.08% of the seas effectively so. Only half the global MPAs are conceived within a network. Even at a current annual growth rate of MPAs of 5.2%, it would take decades before adequate levels of protection would be achieved. Moreover, a simple and clear monitoring mechanism needs to be in place to obtain feedback and see whether conservation / rebuilding needs are met.
NB by end 2012 about 2% of the world's oceans were declared marine protected areas marking some encouraging progress. However, despite setting up a global register of MPAs and other measures many of the concerns voiced in the working paper remain relevant today.